Do you have recurring pain in your body? Maybe it’s your neck, back or hips?

Research has shown that emotional pain can lead to physical pain in the body.The physical pain you’re going through could be a result of emotional baggage that you haven’t dealt with. When I first heard about this, I thought it was all a bit ‘woo-woo’ – but I started to pay attention to it anyway. Over the course of a week, I realised I had really bad muscle pain in my neck and jaw, a sore throat and a toothache.

When I looked up what pain around the neck meant, I found that it’sabout not speaking your truth, and could be that there’s a disconnect between your head (logic/thoughts) and your heart (emotions/real desire). So I decided to explore those symptoms, looking at where I wasn’t speaking my truth in my life and my relationships. When I sat down to really think about it, I realised that I wasn’t speaking my truth about a particular relationship. When I made the effort to have the conversation with the person to express how I was feeling, over the next week or so the pain I was having in my neck, jaw, throat and tooth went away. I was completely amazed, and now I’m a total convert to the belief that there’s an inextricable connection between mind and body. Descartes knew it way back in the 17th century and we should all heed his word!

What recurring pain do you have, and what emotional baggage could it be? Have a look at the short list below and use it explore how to reframe your thinking or take action and resolve an ongoing emotional issue that could be causing you physical pain.

Physical pain: Head Ignoring your own intuition or your own deep needs.

Physical pain: NeckTrouble making decisions and inflexibility. Your neck is the bridge between your head (logic) and heart (feelings) – the two electrical command centres in your body. The electrical impulses travelling between your head and your heart balance analytical thinking with emotional range; therefore, neck pain can indicate disconnect between your thoughts and feelings. Maybe you’re not willing to understand someone else’s point of view or look at other options for a particular issue. Open your mind and try putting yourself in someone else’s shoes.

Physical pain: ShouldersCarrying an emotional burden. Have you heard of the expression, ‘You’ve got the weight of the world on your shoulders’?

Physical pain: Legs and calvesFearful of moving forward or making changes. Legs are how you move forward in life. Your legs, calves and feet store much of your trauma, resentment, jealousy, and emotional pain, both past and present, especially in regard to your family.